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Does Verizon let you upgrade before the 2 year contract is up?

My phone wouldn't turn on about 2 months ago, and the only way I was able to fix was by pulling the power button. Unfortunately this made it so my phone will randomly turn off now, and will only stay on if it is plugged in. My upgrade date is July 4th, and I was wondering if anyone has had luck with Verizon pulling some strings to have your phone upgraded early. Considering I have added four others to my account, I would think that they would be able to do something to help me.

Additionally, you should be able to use your upgrade at any point within the two year period (personal opinion).

Comments

Weth

Verizon has clamped down on early upgrades. You are lucky to get an upgrade 1 week early these days. Certainly not months early. The 2 year contract is really to pay off the phone that Verizon gave you at a reduced cost, and Verizon needs to make up the difference with higher monthly contract fees for that full 24 months for the deal not to be a loss on the phone.

Some people get an early Edge offer, but you are not going to be eligible, since you must have a working phone to hand in to get that deal.

Your options are a used phone from friends or a safe place like swappa. You can also buy a new phone at full price. The benefit of that is starting in July, if you are on More Everything, you will get a $15 or $25 month discount every month for being on month to month. Multiply that by 24 months and the discount pays for most of the full cost of the phone.

veryfrustrated0118

Additionally, you should be able to use your upgrade at any point within the two year period (personal opinion).

This is upgrade whenever you like. This means there is no need for contract. You can always upgrade whenever you like if you're in contract. You do this by paying full cost of the device.

Mitchieboi

Thanks Weth. I was reading of people getting early upgrades, so thought I'd ask.

weatherjen

I have the same issue as you Mitchieboi. I loved my Motorola Razr M the first year I had it, but the Jelly Bean upgrade last summer made it a sluggish, buggy, battery hog. I soldiered on for 10 more months with every intention of finishing my contract, which expires on 6/28/2015. Yesterday morning I got stuck on the reboot loop, soft reset and even hard wipes not working, it is completely unresponsive. It seems to me that the two year agreement should be dependent on having an actual working phone to use. My local Verizon folks were not much help, no early upgrade of course, no offers of a dumbphone to tide over til I can upgrade, just shrugs and telling me to find something online.

I totally understand that my phone was subsidized through my monthly bill and Verizon wants it to be paid in full. However, considering 22 of 24 months have been paid for and counting the initial cost, I have maybe, $50 before my broken phone is paid off I think. Verizon could have me locked in a new contract until 2017 if they had been willing to bend the no early upgrade rule. So I can now get a phone from swappa, and use it until the end of June, and then walk away from Verizon when my contract is up. I would think additional years of business from this (formally) loyal customer would be worth more than $50, but I guess not.

Rant over, sorry to hijack your thread Mitchieboi.

Weth

OR keep the phone from swappa a bit longer and save $15 or $25 per month for not being in contract!

veryfrustrated0118

Verizon DOES NOT want people on contracts. This is why they are making it harder to get them. ESPECIALLY before your contract end date. When you go on Edge, pay full cost or provide your own device (which is what you're doing even if you have a contract) Verizon makes more money. This is the same for all carriers. It has been discussed here many many times.

How come you aren't taking the proper steps to make sure that you're covered for the 24 months of your contract? Namely insurance. Had you had it you would have the opportunity for a replacement either with a deductible if the phone is broken or no charge if it is in good condition.

It is NOT VZW's responsibility to make sure that you have a phone. Period.

Rant over.

pherson

I personally find it funny that when people get a new phone and are offered insurance and or the extended warranty they turn it down, yet when something happens prior to their upgrade date, and can't get a new phone it is somehow verizons fault and they just can't wait to leave. Interesting.

veryfrustrated0118

Exactly. It has NEVER been Verizon's position to make sure that your device is working.

Let's use this analogy--- You sign up for a 2 year service agreement with Xfinity. You buy a brand new Samsung television at that time. You're in month 15 and your TV stops working. Do you call Xfinity and demand that they replace it because you are still in contract with them?

rcschnoor

Mitchieboi wrote:

Additionally, you should be able to use your upgrade at any point within the two year period (personal opinion).

How could anyone possibly think this.

Example with your thinking: Purchase a phone with a 2 yr contract in January. Use your "upgrade at any point" in February with a new 2 yr contract. Sell original phone for close to full retail value on swappa.com. $300-$400 profit from sale. Use your "upgrade at any point" in March with a new 2 yr contract. Sell original phone for close to full retail value on swappa.com. $300-$400 profit from sale. Use your "upgrade at any point" in April with a new 2 yr contract. Sell original phone for close to full retail value. $300-$400 profit from sale.......... Four purchased phones in 4 months, $900-$1200 in profit for the customer by selling old phone AND you are only under a 2 yr contract. I certainly wish they would allow this, too.

What a way for customers to make money at the expense of Verizon!!!! I can't believe Verizon doesn't do business in this manner.

Mitchieboi

OK, I obviously meant you can use ONE upgrade per two year period. I've been in my contract for 22 months. They can let me pay $199 now for a new phone and lock me in for an additional two years from July 2015 - July 2017 or let me upgrade in July 2015 and lock me in until July 2017. And how exactly are they losing money from that? Regardless, they will be getting the same exact amount of money from me whether I upgrade now or in two months.

Mitchieboi

I'm not blaming Verizon on my broken phone at all. I definitely take fault at that and was more wondering if there is any option for early upgrade because of it. If there isn't then so be it. I didn't buy insurance because my phones/laptops/ you name it device rarely ever breaks. The cost of insurance over a 2 year period would be $196. Add the insurance for let's say, your laptop and other devices, the insurance cost of all those devices tells me to not buy insurance. Also for $196 I can find a like new phone, so I personally don't find it worth getting.

Snn5

They end up with 2 months less money if you end a 2 year contract now and start another. I get what you mean by a "rolling 2 years" but contracts have a start and end date despite the fact that you might always be a customer from here until death. Theres more to the financial planning side with expected futures, planned growth, and what they can bank on as far as income goes, and a contract assures that, just like it assures you service and a rate for that same period of time. If everyone could upgrade early, Verizon would have a harder time with that financial planning as nothing would be certain and its just easier to stay uniform than trying to be that flexible.

Mitchieboi

You can't ALWAYS upgrade whenever you want. You can upgrade once within the two year contract whenever you want. Upgrade now, or in two years. If I upgrade now, then they lock me in an additional two years starting at the end of my original two year contract.

veryfrustrated0118

Because you signed a contract and these are the terms that you agreed to. I don't understand why this is a hard concept for people to understand. They don't have to let you do anything. You're not entitled to any benefits until you complete your contract. A discounted device is such a benefit.

Mitchieboi

I don't mean end the 2 year contract now. I mean upgrade my phone 2 months early, BUT my 2 year contract would still start at the end of my original 2 year agreement. Or let's say that I upgrade 2 months early, well then my contract would be for 26 months instead of 24. I think that's reasonable.

Mitchieboi

I get what the contract is. I was only questioning why they don't change it. T-Mobile offers that same service.

rcschnoor

Mitchieboi wrote:

They can let me pay $199 now for a new phone and lock me in for an additional two years from July 2015 - July 2017 or let me upgrade in July 2015 and lock me in until July 2017. And how exactly are they losing money from that? Regardless, they will be getting the same exact amount of money from me whether I upgrade now or in two months.

If you upgrade now, you would be locked in from April 2015 thru April 2017. The contract runs from when you sign it for the next 2 years. Verizon loses the 2 months of your old contract you signed in July 2013. If you sign a contract now, it does not start in July, it starts now.

If you want Verizon to start a contract when the old one ends if they allowed early upgrades, there would be people on Verizon who would be locked in for the next 3, 4 5 or more years.

Example: Sign a contract in January 2015 to run until January 2017. You get to upgrade once during that period as per your example in say January 2016 except the NEW contract does not start until January 2017 and runs thru January 2019. That person is now locked into a 3 year contract(remaining portion of first contract plus 2 full years of new contract). You get to upgrade once thru THAT contract, say January 2017 except the NEW contract does not start until January 2019(full 2 yrs of 2nd contract plus 2 years of 3rd contract). That person is now locked into a 4 year contract thru 2021 for a contract signed in 2017 yet does not start until 2019. How is this possibly in the best interest of the customer??? How are they going to make a phone last 4 years when they can't even make it last 2 years???

rcschnoor

Mitchieboi wrote:

You can't ALWAYS upgrade whenever you want. You can upgrade once within the two year contract whenever you want. Upgrade now, or in two years. If I upgrade now, then they lock me in an additional two years starting at the end of my original two year contract.

If fact you CAN ALWAYS upgrade whenever you want. You may not get a $400+ discount on the upgrade, but you CAN upgrade. People do it all the time.

Mitchieboi

If I upgrade now. let's say the contract would extend until the end of July 2017. Your comment on

"If you want Verizon to start a contract when the old one ends if they allowed early upgrades, there would be people on Verizon who would be locked in for the next 3, 4 5 or more years."

Shouldn't that be up to the customer if they want to be locked in for that long? I would definitely have opted for my contract to be for 2.5 years when my phone broke.

arkainzeye

So i take it you didn't opt for the warranty coverage... you only other option for be to purchase a used or cert phone. You can pretty much forget about being able to upgrade early ... if they did this. It would go against the edge plan. Which allows you upgrade early provided you meet the terms. . For you to ask for special treatment ( just because ) would be dangerous for vzw.. as there are people who have to pay for this privilege... and if you got it free while not even being on a edge plan.... yeah.. that ain't going to happen ...

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